Scottish Executive

Civil Servants

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there would be savings on office accommodation costs if civil service jobs were redistributed to the regions of Scotland in proportion to population and, if so, whether it can quantify these.

Angus MacKay: Comparing similar properties, office rentals in the centre of Edinburgh are usually higher than in other parts of Scotland. Whether a saving on office accommodation costs is achievable depends on the actual cost of existing accommodation and the cost of available alternatives elsewhere in Scotland. Given the range of variables it is not possible to provide a meaningful quantification of likely savings.

  Accommodation costs are only one part of the total running costs of an organisation. For example, the cost of moving existing staff can be significant. Whether there is an overall saving depends on the range of costs and savings identified.

  The Executive’s policy therefore deals with real opportunities on a case by case basis ensuring that meaningful and realistic costings are considered.

Civil Servants

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there would be savings on office accommodation costs if 3,000 civil service jobs were relocated to Tayside and, if so, whether it can quantify these.

Angus MacKay: Comparing similar properties, office rentals are lower in Tayside than in Edinburgh. Whether a saving on office accommodation costs is achievable depends on the actual cost of existing accommodation and the cost of available alternatives in Tayside. Given the range of variables it is not possible to provide a meaningful quantification of likely savings.

  Accommodation costs are only one part of the total running costs of an organisation. For example, the cost of moving existing staff can be significant. Whether there is an overall saving depends on the range of costs and savings identified.

  The Executive’s policy therefore deals with real opportunities on a case by case basis ensuring that meaningful and realistic costings are considered.

Environment

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities increase the level of ozone-damaging gases that are removed from redundant fridges and freezers.

Rhona Brankin: Removal of ozone depleting substances from waste fridges and freezers prior to disposal is the responsibility of the holders of the waste. EC Regulation 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer requires that, after 31 December 2001, all ozone depleting substances must be recovered prior to dismantling or disposal of domestic refrigerators and freezers. Scottish local authorities which hold such waste will be required to comply with these requirements.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16039 by Angus MacKay on 27 June 2001, whether the information made available to it by Her Majesty’s Government, in accordance with the terms of Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly or otherwise, is sufficient to enable it to determine what proportion of comparable UK spending, for the purposes of the Barnett formula, the Scottish budget represented or will represent in each year from 1999-2000 to 2003-04.

Angus MacKay: Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly - A Statement of Funding Policy  sets out the comparabilities that operate at a departmental level. These are based on sub-programme expenditure in the year before any review of expenditure. However, the comparability factor is only applied to the departmental change rather than individual changes in sub-programmes. Since most Whitehall departmental programmes are not fully analogous to Scotland it is very difficult to make comparisons between the Scottish budget and comparable UK spending.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any fisheries projects will be abandoned or reduced as a result of the recent budget announcement and, if so, which specific projects will be affected.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16765. These are the only savings planned in the fisheries programmes.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value to the Scottish fishing and fish processing sectors of exports of herring and mackerel was in 2000; what the value of exports of herring and mackerel to Russia was in 2000, and whether Russia is a key market for Scottish pelagic fish.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not available. However, I can confirm that the UK exported approximately £55 million worth of herring and mackerel in 2000. Of this, approximately £14 million was exported to Russia which is an important market for Scottish pelagic fish.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to Russia that it should lift its ban on the imports of herring and mackerel; what other efforts it has made to achieve this objective; whether it has met any representatives of the Russian government to pursue a lifting of the ban and, if it has not, whether it will now request such a meeting.

Rhona Brankin: Yes. We have also confirmed that there is no scientific justification for the Russian ban. The Executive has no plans to request a meeting with the Russian government until British Embassy officials who are actively pursuing this matter through diplomatic channels indicate that any such meeting might be useful.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the remit of KPMG in the report Progressing Further Education in Glasgow: Strategic Options was to learn from the experience of previous mergers in the further education sectors of Scotland and England and Wales.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: This was not, I understand, specifically part of the remit. But in considering how to take matters forward I would expect the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the Glasgow colleges to take into account relevant experience from elsewhere.

Health

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will advise all health boards in possession of an unallocated development reserve to use some or all of that reserve to alleviate delays in the discharge of patients from hospitals into care homes and whether it will detail what scrutiny and accountability health boards are subject to on this matter.

Susan Deacon: We have no plans to advise health boards how they should spend any reserves which they may temporarily hold. It is for health boards to determine how to allocate the resources available to them on the basis of their assessment of local needs and priorities.

  Appropriate discharge of patients from hospital to other care settings continues to be a high priority for the NHS and social work authorities in Scotland. The quarterly census of patients waiting for discharge, and the Scottish Executive’s regular contact with health boards, NHS Trusts and social work authorities ensures that this matter is subject to regular scrutiny.

Health

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the per capita level of funding for each health board was in each year since 1995.

Susan Deacon: Details are as follows:

  


Health Board 
  

1995-96
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  

1996-97
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  

1997-98
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  

1998-99
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

778 
  

832 
  

865 
  

908 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

749 
  

783 
  

837 
  

873 
  



Borders 
  

821 
  

861 
  

902 
  

941 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

826 
  

883 
  

921 
  

961 
  



Fife 
  

727 
  

761 
  

799 
  

821 
  



Forth Valley 
  

759 
  

771 
  

806 
  

847 
  



Grampian 
  

730 
  

769 
  

807 
  

844 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

878 
  

905 
  

948 
  

965 
  



Highland 
  

846 
  

865 
  

911 
  

943 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

699 
  

736 
  

784 
  

823 
  



Lothian 
  

773 
  

793 
  

836 
  

867 
  



Orkney 
  

1,000 
  

1,008 
  

1,062 
  

1,198 
  



Shetland 
  

957 
  

939 
  

1,100 
  

1,103 
  



Tayside 
  

855 
  

924 
  

952 
  

1,007 
  



Western Isles 
  

1,238 
  

1,176 
  

1,298 
  

1,351 
  



  


Health Board 
  

1999-2000
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  

2000-01
Per Capita
Funding
(£) 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

933 
  

1,017 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

901 
  

982 
  



Borders 
  

958 
  

1,000 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1,010 
  

1,078 
  



Fife 
  

849 
  

901 
  



Forth Valley 
  

873 
  

938 
  



Grampian 
  

857 
  

924 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

1,004 
  

1,083 
  



Highland 
  

950 
  

1,015 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

850 
  

919 
  



Lothian 
  

887 
  

934 
  



Orkney 
  

1,218 
  

1,424 
  



Shetland 
  

1,199 
  

1,296 
  



Tayside 
  

1,027 
  

1,098 
  



Western Isles 
  

1,447 
  

1,692 
  



  The levels of per capita funding for have been calculated using mid-year estimates of population, final cash limited/unified budget, capital allocations, including, where appropriate, any non-recurring allocations, and actual expenditure for demand led Family Health Services.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on treatment of those suffering from scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, in the last five years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations received grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 in 1999-2000.

Jackie Baillie: Eighty-three housing associations with accounting periods ending in 1999-2000 have received grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cash value was of grants received by housing associations under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 in 1999-2000.

Jackie Baillie: The total cash value of grants paid so far under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988, in respect of accounting periods ending in 1999-2000, is £4,193,828.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations have applied for grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 in respect of 2000-01.

Jackie Baillie: No grant applications have been made so far in respect of 2000-01 by housing associations under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cash value was of grant applications made by housing associations under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 in respect of 2000-01.

Jackie Baillie: No grant applications have been made so far in respect of 2000-01 by housing associations under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations have charitable status.

Jackie Baillie: Sixty-five Registered Social Landlords have charitable status.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations have applied for charitable status since the introduction in the Parliament of the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

Jackie Baillie: Since the Housing (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 18 December 2000, seven Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) have applied for charitable status from the Inland Revenue. All of these RSLs have applied to Scottish Homes for the appropriate rule change and consent has been given.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it (a) sought and (b) obtained from VisitScotland prior to the drafting of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Jim Wallace: VisitScotland has been consulted along with other interested organisations and individuals at each stage of the development of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. This includes early consultations by the Land Reform Policy Group as well as the White Paper and draft Bill stages in July 1999 and February 2001, respectively. VisitScotland is also a member of the Access Forum which has been active in assisting Scottish Natural Heritage in formulating its advice to ministers on access to the countryside and in drafting the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

  The comments received from VisitScotland will be taken into account in finalising the legislation for introduction to the Parliament.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, as drafted, will have on tourism.

Mr Jim Wallace: The purpose of Part 1 of the draft Land Reform Bill is to create greater opportunity for people to visit and enjoy the Scottish countryside. This will further enhance the attractiveness of Scotland to our visitors.

Meat Industry

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which sources Quality Meat Scotland receives funding and how much it receives from each source.

Ross Finnie: In financial year 2000-01 Quality Meat Scotland and its predecessor organisation (Scotch Quality Beef and Lamb Association) received funding amounting to approximately £3.5 million. This included £1.7 million from the Meat and Livestock Commission, £875,000 from membership fees of their quality assurance schemes, £365,000 from the Scottish Executive and £350,000 from the British Pork Executive.

Meat Industry

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the performance and output targets are for Quality Meat Scotland.

Ross Finnie: At the end of July QMS launched its first strategic plan for the Scottish meat industry. The plan highlights strategic priorities and links in 26 specific objectives to these areas. The broad strategic priorities are Quality Assurance, Marketing, Industry Development, Effective Communication and Organisation Development. Examples of related specific objectives are enhancement of the scope and standards of quality assurance schemes, adoption of the "Specially Selected Scotch" brand across all three red meat sectors and develop and promote the primary themes affecting the Scottish Sheep industry identified in the Andrew Dewar-Durie Report.

  Coverage of the plan takes in the 3-year period from April this year to March 2004. While it is relatively early days, I believe that the positive and proactive approach which QMS have taken to addressing these targets will see their ultimate achievement, to the benefit of the whole of the Scottish meat industry.

Nursing

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage nurses to continue working within the NHSiS.

Susan Deacon: There are a number of ways in which this is being achieved. For example, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change makes clear that all NHS employers will be required to meet or exceed best practice guidance on family-friendly policies as part of the new Staff Governance Standard. To help employers, guidance on family-friendly policies was issued in January covering areas such as flexible working, childcare, breast-feeding and career breaks. The guidance applies to all staff in NHSScotland.

  For the future, negotiations on Agenda for Change NHS Pay Modernisation are being addressed on a UK basis. The proposed new system will seek to underpin better career progression, modern conditions of service for staff and will ensure that all staff are rewarded fairly according to the work that they do and the contribution that they make rather than the title that they hold.

Organ Retention

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court cases relating to organ retention are currently being brought against hospitals by parents.

Susan Deacon: We are not aware of any court cases related to organ retention having been brought by parents against any NHS Trust in Scotland. We understand, however, that some claims are being considered.

Parliamentary Questions

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16331 by Susan Deacon on 29 June 2001, why figures regarding the Save Stobhill campaign were not given in the substantive answer to my question S1W-15646 until 29 May 2001 when they had been available from 15 May 2001.

Susan Deacon: There is no particular reason why the figures in question, which are neither confidential nor sensitive, were not provided before 29 May other than process.

Planning

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress local authorities are making in delivering local plan policies and issuing supplementary guidance to developers on the development of affordable housing, and how it is assisting local authorities to do this.

Lewis Macdonald: We are aware that planning authorities have been considering ways in which they can assist in the provision of affordable housing. Delivery of local plan policies is the responsibility of the planning authority in question.

  The Executive sets the national policy framework, principally through National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 3: Land for Housing, which provides guidance to planning authorities on the consideration of affordable housing requirements when preparing their development plans. NPPG 3 is currently being reviewed and a draft will be issued for consultation later this year.

  The Executive commissioned research projects during 2000 to consider the role of the planning system in the provision of affordable housing. The findings of the research will inform the review of NPPG 3.

Planning

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the costs to it and to the Inquiry Reporters Unit of conducting two public local inquiries into land south of High Bogany, Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has received two planning appeals into land south of High Bogany, Rothesay. Only one of these is being determined by public local inquiry; the other was determined by the written submissions procedure.

  The public local inquiry commenced on 12 June 2001 but, as you are aware, has been adjourned until 17 September 2001. Full details of the costs of the inquiry will therefore only become available following the conclusion of the inquiry and issue of the decision on the appeal.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Fatal Accident Inquiries there have been as a result of inmates dying while in custody at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Two.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of ending slopping out in HM Prison Barlinnie would be.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The options for ending slopping out in all Scottish Prisons, including HM Prison Barlinnie, are being considered as part of the Estates Review which is currently underway. Costings will be published as part of this exercise.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an anticipated £17 million underspend in the Scottish Prison Service budget for the current financial year.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The underspend in the financial year 2000-01 was approximately £17 million.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy guidance it has given to the Scottish Prison Service, in order to comply with the Service’s mission statement commitment to provide prisoners with a range of opportunities, regarding the participation of Scottish prisoners in exhibitions of their art work on the basis that the prisoners exhibit anonymously, derive no profit from any sales of their art work and that any such profits are applied to the provision of art materials within the prison service.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  None. The SPS is responsible for drawing up its procedures concerning prisoner art competitions and exhibitions. In future all requests to SPS for involvement in art and craft exhibitions, competitions and the like will be considered by an Art Exhibition Advisory Group with both internal and external representatives.

Public Bodies

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct those public bodies for which it is responsible to discontinue the use of paper products produced by Asia Pulp and Paper.

Angus MacKay: No. The purchasing of paper and other supplies is a matter for individual public bodies.

Rural Affairs

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to oppose the proposals by the European Union to ban the use of fishmeal in ruminant feeds and what information it has on the scientific basis of these proposals.

Ross Finnie: In agreement with the Scottish Executive, the UK Government has made representations to the European Union on the fishmeal issue throughout the legislative process. As a result fishmeal has not been banned from feeding to non-ruminant livestock. The UK has raised the possibility of a relaxation of the ban on feeding fishmeal to ruminants in the Standing Veterinary Committee and the Council. In the Agricultural Council of 19 June the Commission promised to review this ban once a test had been validated that is capable of differentiating between animal and fish protein in feed. The UK uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to test compound animal feedingstuffs for the presence of mammalian protein, but this test has not yet been validated. Until this problem can be resolved we have no option but to implement the Community ban.

  The scientific basis for the ban on the use of fishmeal in ruminant feeds came from the EU Scientific Steering Committee, who considered possible scientific reasons for a general feed ban on meat and bone meal (MBM) to all farmed animals on 27/28 November 2000. Their opinion, which was published on the 29 November, stated that the risk of propagation of BSE and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies was increased by the possibility of cross-contamination of animal feed. Cross contamination with possibly BSE contaminated ruminant MBM is a serious problem. A ban on the use of MBM containing feed for animals minimises this risk.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the performance of local authorities in funding tourism-related activities from the resources allocated to them is adequate.

Peter Peacock: The level of local authority expenditure on tourism-related activities and other services is a matter for each authority.